MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump halts strikes on Iran as Tehran denies any deal exists

The announcement followed a phone call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he was suspending further strikes on Iran, saying the broad terms of an understanding had been agreed, an account Iranian authorities rejected hours later.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him to postpone any attack after the parameters of a deal were settled, one that would include the immediate, complete and total opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the Iranian nuclear threat. He added that he agreed to cancel the operation provided a deal can be reached quickly, and said Israel was joining the commitment.

Tehran denied that account. The Fars news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, described the announcement as another withdrawal of threats. People close to the Iranian negotiating team, quoted by domestic media, called the remarks a lie, denied any understanding on Hormuz and reiterated that the waterway will remain closed as long as Washington maintains what they term hostile actions. The acting defense minister said US statements would not confuse Iranian forces.

The announcement followed a phone call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. According to the official Saudi news agency, the prince stressed the need to prioritize dialogue to reduce regional tensions. Sources cited by the Associated Press and Axios said it was the prince who urged Trump to refrain from further strikes. Riyadh fears a US offensive against Iranian energy infrastructure could trigger retaliation on Saudi territory, at a time when the Houthis have announced a naval blockade on shipping from that country in the Red Sea.

Israel, which launched the offensive alongside the United States on February 28 but was not party to the June memorandum, is awaiting the outcome of the diplomatic effort. Its prime minister said options for continuing the campaign had been reviewed.

This is not the first such announcement. On March 23 Trump ordered strikes postponed for five days; on March 26 he extended an ultimatum; on April 7 he announced a two-week ceasefire mediated by Pakistan; and on June 17 a memorandum of understanding was signed opening sixty days of negotiations, which lapsed without effect.

Iran keeps Hormuz largely closed. Before the war, around 20% of the world's traded oil and liquefied natural gas passed through it, and the closure has pushed energy prices higher. On Saturday, the British maritime security agency UKMTO logged two incidents off the coast of Oman: a tanker struck by a projectile of unknown origin, damaging its engine room, and an explosion in the water alongside another vessel. There were no casualties.

Tehran puts the death toll since March at more than 3,400, a figure that has not been independently verified.